The “robot anime” (ロボット, robotto) (known outside Japan as mecha anime) is a Japanese animation genre featuring walking robots (called mecha), usually bipedal, with arms and hands able to use objects and usually controlled by pilots.

It is considered that the genre started in 1956, with Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s manga Tetsujin 28-gō. The giant robot described in manga was 18 meters tall, had a humanoid shape and was controlled by a remote. Tetsujin was a Super Robot (スーパーロボット, Sūpā Robotto), sub-genre describing almost indestructible robots, with fantastic weapons and powers.

The most popular mecha, Gundam, appeared in 1972, produced by Sunrise studios. Unlike Tetsujin, Gundam is a Real Robot (リアルロボット, Riaru Robotto), a mecha powered by more or less conventional engines and using scientifically explainable weapons.

In time, the genre became popular both in Japan and overseas and in the last years statues and life-size replicas of these giant robots were built, some of them becoming famous tourist attractions.
Here I will present you a top of these “giant robot” related tourist attractions. ;)

Three years ago, the owner of a stone sculpting shop from Yasu built a giant stone statue of Gundam which, obviously, became quickly a local attraction.
The statue is made from two large blocks of granite, is 4 meters talls and weights about 10 tons.

I placed it on the 6th place because while well proportioned and finished, it’s not built on a specific scale and also, I couldn’t recognize what specific Gindam it represents. If anyone is aware, please let me know…

If you wish to go and visit it, here’s the map with Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture:

On July 2007, in the Fuji-Q Highland (Fujikyu Highland) amusement park from Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi prefecture, the Gundam Crisis attraction was opened to the public, featuring a life-size model of the Gundam RX-78-2, the first 1:1 scale model Gundam ever built.

The inauguration ceremony of the Tetsujin 28-gō giant robot statue was held on October 4th 2009, in the Wakamatsu-cho district from Kobe.
The robot was built as a symbol of the city’s revival after the devastating Kobe Earthquake from 1995, and is also a tribute to the author of the Tetsujin 28-gō manga, Mitsuteru Yokoyama, who was born in Kobe.

The 78 years old seiyū (voice actor) Minoru Yada, who played the inventor’s assistant in the televised series, participated at the ceremony holding a replica of the remote device used in the show to control the robot:

And here are a few scenes from the remake made in 2004 (outside Japan, the series was launched with the name Gigantor):

The statue from Kobe is made at a precise 1:1 scale, is 15.3 meters tall, weights 50 tons and was an investment of approx. 1.4 million dollars.
The giant robot is very well reproduced, however it doesn’t feature lights or movements, so I placed it on the 3rd place.

Two years ago, PingMag published an interview with Kogoro Kurata, where he explained the reasons that made him realize this project:

“I really just wanted to prove to people that you can make huge things using iron. It ended up taking a year, and in the middle of it all I broke a bone working on it. It would have actually taken six months if I hadn’t gotten injured…“

Unfortunately, I have no information when and where this amazing construction will be again available to the public.

1st place: Gundam RX-78-2 from Odaiba

On the 30th anniversary of the Gundam robot franchise, during July and August 2009, a life-size statue of the RX-78-2 Gundam was built in the Shiokaze Park in Odaiba, Tokyo.

When the 18 meters tall robot was inaugurated, the organizers were anticipating 1.5 million visitors.
The statue had a bigger success than expected and over 4.15 million people visited the giant Gundam. The record number of visitors per day was 185000, on August 23rd.